This invention relates to a device for shifting breakable objects, such as eggs or fruits, to be handled, from one conveyor to another conveyor moving at higher speed, or from the conveyor to a packing container, in safety without breakage.
In cases where objects, such as eggs, are subjected to mechanical sorting and mechanical packing at high speed, the objects are shifted from one conveyor to another conveyor or to a packing container carried by the conveyor. Various ways have been proposed to improve the shifting of the objects in safety.
In order to ensure safety, in handling the handling speed is sacrificed, while, in order to increase handling speed, safety in handling is sacrificed. When the handling speed is increased with safety in handling, the mechanical device is abnormally complicated, expensive to produce, or liable to cause a problem, such as break-downs.
For example, an "egg packing device" described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Gazette No. 73515/1983, comprises a feeder for intermittently holding eggs and feeding them, a stationary egg-lowering plate which has a groove extending from near the upper end toward the lower end and guides eggs downwardly through the groove, and a conveyor, which operates intermittently and in synchronism with the feeder, and including a chain belt carrying support plates in regular intervals, for holding the eggs between the lowering plate and the support plates, and transports the turned eggs downwardly along the groove. This device is adapted to transport the eggs by the support plates toward an opening at a recess of an egg packing container, thereby shifting them into the packing container in safety and at high speed without cracking or breaking the eggs. This device, however, aims at turning the eggs, as they are transported while being sandwiched between the lowering plates and the support plates. The speed of feeder is limited and the eggs are dropped into the packing container while keeping downward inertia. Hence, it is impossible to completely prevent the breakage of egg.
Other conventional devices are so constructed that the objects to be handled, when shifted, are transported downwardly and, thereafter, dropped without cutting off the downward inertia, again casing breakage. It is extremely difficult for the conventional device to shift the objects in safety and at high speed.
This invention eliminates the above defects in the conventional device. The shifting device of the invention is so constructed that delivery devices for the objects to be handled are provided with a plurality of receiving seats, separated for the respective objects to be handled, and juxtaposed horizontally, and have the bottoms freely opening or closing. The receiving seats are disposed vertically in two rows. The lower delivery device moves vertically in reciprocation and the bottoms thereof are kept open from the end of downward stroke of the lower delivery device to the start of upward stroke of the same and closed prior to the end of upward stroke. The bottom of each receiving seat of the upper delivery device is adapted to be open when the lower delivery device ends its upward stroke and the bottom of each receiving seat at the lower delivery device is in condition of closing.
Hence, the objects to be handled, when discharged from an upper discharge conveyor, are held by the upper delivery device. The lower delivery device lifts to approach the upper delivery device so as to shift the objects to the lower delivery device. The lower delivery device is then lowered to cut off the downward inertia of the objects to be handled. The objects being handled are shifted to the lower receiving conveyor in safety and at high speed.
An object of the invention is to provide a shifting device which is capable of shifting the objects, such as eggs, to be handled during the mechanical sorting and mechanical packing process in safety and at high speed.
Another object of the invention is to provide a shifting device simple and strong in construction and inexpensive to produce and parts.
These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent in the detailed description and examples which follow: